Customer Reviews

Collins Pocket Guide to Stars and Planets (Collins Pocket Guides)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For beginners to advanced amateurs, there is no other guide more comprehensive and better formatted than Ridpath & Tirion's Guide to Stars and Planets. For starters you can get a broad picture of the sky for any month at any location, thus avoiding the need for a planisphere. Once you've found your way from constellation to constellation, you're ready to harvest the best this book offers: There is a map of each constellation, showing the most interesting and accessible objects for viewing with naked eyes, binoculars or small telescopes. Accompanying each map are descriptions of these objects. I've tried many guides and plenty of astronomical software, but this is the guide that I always take with me and it's the first port of call for information during an observing session - there's none better. Collins, how about another print run of the superb book?

I would like to agree on the review I just read. This is a great little book that I can fit into my pocket ( only just ) and nip out for a quick revision whenever I am stuck somewhere with nothing to do. Excellent content all the way through. Great charts, up to magnitue 5.5 I believe.

Great new book format, slightly larger than version 2,essential for those star parties. Ian Ridpath & Wil Tirion deliver the goods again.

I mostly agree with the previous two reviews. This is by far the most useful pocket book I've come across for casual binocular and small telescope astronomical observing. In fact, I carry it around with me everywhere to quickly give me new things to look for when I haven't had time to develop a more formal observing plan.

My only problem with it is that it's a standard paperback book. If Collins would release a ringbound edition, the book would be significantly more practical to use outside on cold, damp nights in conjunction with binoculars and small telescopes. At least one person I know buys three copies of this book at a time, because it can get worn out so easily given a reasonable amount of active outdoor casual observing.